Eleven Maddison Park Crowned No 1 World's 50 Best in Melbourne

Eleven Madison Park in New York has secured the No.1 spot in the 2017 list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Melboune rose to the occasion at one of it's most significant ever events and surely is rated as one of the foodie capitals of the world. The World Loves Melbourne attended the Awards night and found it to live up to the hype. This year’s winners were revealed at the awards ceremony at the historic Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.

·Eleven Madison Park is named The World’s Best Restaurant for the first time

·Attica in Melbourne (No.32) rises one place to retain its title as The Best Restaurant in Australasia

·Brae in rural Victoria enters the ranking for the first time at No.44

·France, Spain and the USA each count six restaurants on the 2017 list

·The 2017 list features nine new restaurants: six making their debut and three returning to the list as re-entries

What a night! This was satiation overdrive with the best of Australian food and wine on display. All eyes were on who would make up the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Now in its 15th year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants welcomes six brand new entries and three re-entries to the 2017 ranking. Showcasing a broad cross-section of cultures and cuisines, it includes restaurants from 22 countries across five continents. France, Spain and the USA each count six restaurants on the list.

In claiming the No.1 position on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Eleven Madison Park earns the dual titles ofTheWorld’sBest Restaurant andTheBest Restaurant in North America. Afterdebuting on the list at No.50 in 2010, Eleven Madison Park has hovered within the top 10 since 2012, rising to No.3 last year.

The restaurant’s co-owners, Will Guidara and Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, enhance the fine-dining experience with a sense of fun, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room. Housed in an art deco building overlooking New York’s Madison Park, the restaurant’s multi-course seasonal tasting menu celebrates the city’s rich history and culinary traditions.

Australian seafood at its finest.

Last year’s No.1, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, claims the No.2 position to retain its title as The Best Restaurant in Europe. Italy is also represented by familiar favourites Piazza Duomo (No.15) and Le Calandre (No.29) as well as first-time entry Reale, in Castel Di Sangro, debuting on the list at No. 43.

Host country Australia boasts two restaurants on the list. At No. 32, Attica in Melbourne retains its title as TheBest Restaurant in Australasia, while Brae, headed by chef Dan Hunter, is a first-time entry debuting at No.44.

Ben Shewry has been a strong performer in the World's 50 Best Restaurants for several years.

Dan Hunter of Brae.

France has doubled its number of restaurants on the list. Among France’s six entries, three rank in the top 20. Mirazur leads at No.4, followed by Arpège (No.12) while Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée makes a dramatic re-entry on the list to land at No.13.

A captive audience for The World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards.

Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, the restaurant headed by Yannick Alléno, debuts at No.31, earning the coveted Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles. Other Paris-based restaurantsSeptime (No.35) and L’Astrance (No.46) also move up the ranking, rising 15 and 11 places respectively. Aside from celebrating Septime’s climb up the rankings, the restaurant also claims the Sustainable Restaurant Award, sponsored by Silestone, andaudited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

Spain retains its strong presence on the list with three of its six restaurants landing in the top 10. Former No.1 El Celler de Can Roca leads the contingent at No.3 and is also the 2017 recipient of the The Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality Award in recognition of the restaurant’s warm atmosphere and ever-gracious service.Asador Etxebarri climbs four places to No.6 while Mugaritz in San Sebastian now sits at No.9.

While one New York restaurant takes the No.1 spot, another debuts on the list: Enrique Olvera’s Cosme is a first-time entry at No.40 while his other restaurant, Pujol in Mexico City, rises five places to No.20. Meanwhile, Dan Barber’s progressive restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, rises 37 places to No.11 to earn the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lavazza.

Chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara from Eleven Madison Park in New York with William Drew at the Press Conference.

New York-basedpastry entrepreneur Dominique Ansel is also honoured this year, claiming the 2017 title of TheWorld’s Best Pastry Chef.Since opening his eponymous SoHo bakery in 2011 and launching the Cronut, his signature croissant-doughnut hybrid, French-born Ansel has extended his global influence to London and Tokyo. This award recognises his relentless creativity, innovation and ability to span the retail and restaurant sectors.

South America boasts five restaurants from across the continent on the list, including the debut of Tegui in Buenos Aires at No.49. Maido in Lima, last year’s winner of the Highest Climber Award, continues its upward trajectory, rising five places to No.8. Chef Virgilio Martínez steals the limelight with two award wins. His restaurant, Central (No.5), in Peru, is named The Best Restaurant in South America, while he is this year’s recipient of the peer-voted Chefs’ Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm.

Asia counts seven restaurants in the 2017 line-up, with Japan and Thailand each boasting two entries. After claiming the No.1 position for a third consecutive year at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in February, Gaggan in Bangkok rises 16 places to No.7 to claim The Best Restaurant in Asia title. Elsewhere, Singapore’s Restaurant André climbs an impressive 18 places to secure the No.14 spot while Den in Tokyo, the 2016 recipient of the Miele One To Watch Award, arrives on the list at No.45.

The city of Copenhagen also fares well, with two of the Danish capital’s restaurants recognised. Geranium rises nine places to claim the No.19 position while Relae, the two-time winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, climbs one place to No.39.

Respected chef Heston Blumenthal has double reason to celebrate. As well as being the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award, his London restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, rises nine places to sit at No.36. The winners’ circle also includes Ana Roš of Hiša Franko, Slovenia, who is named The World’s Best Female Chef 2017.

William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is proud to bring together the leaders in global gastronomy for this annual celebration. All 50 restaurants represent the very best culinary experiences and talent. We congratulate each one, as well as all the individual award winners, on their remarkable achievements, innovation and creative passion.”